Past, Present and Future
by Shadowtigs
Summary: "At some point, outside the flow of time, three hedgehogs battle for existence itself. They are weary, burning through a power greater than their own as they face off against a god. One has defied death to be here, another has overcome impossible odds to survive to this point and, if this fails, the last most deal with an eternity that is worse than death." Time masters all.


At some point, outside the flow of time, three hedgehogs battle for existence itself. They are weary, burning through a power greater than their own as they face off against a god. One has defied death to be here, another has overcome impossible odds to survive to this point and, if this fails, the last must deal with an eternity that is worse than death.

Reality crumbles around them. Time itself is their foe. They must tear down the shields of a god, break through those defences. They must be stronger, faster and smarter than they have ever been. Never has a battle required so much. It is the fight of their lives. Two of these heroes have fought together in this ascended state. Battled to save the world. But this is bigger still. The new addition to the team seems to be struggling with the forces flowing through him. The psychic is ripping through the shields, but his eyes are filled with pain. Sonic thinks it's the physical demand, remembers Shadow going through the same struggle… and is determined not to lose another friend. Shadow sees those eyes and recognises loss. Winning this battle may not fix things for Silver.

Silver is watching the older hedgehogs, he sees both are weary. Sonic is recovering from a fatal wound… Shadow looks like he has very little energy left. The time traveller aches to help… but there is nothing left for him to throw. He has done is part for now… Shadow is one with the skills to break this shell. It doesn't stop Silver feeling useless. He offers to switch, to let Shadow rest. He knows it will be denied. The future plays on his mind. He hopes they succeed.

Sonic knows the others have given him all the time they can… they've fought first letting the life and strength return to his body. But now both are weary. Silver is too new, Shadow has already fought a battle… he must have to have Chaos energy readings so low. So now it's time for Sonic to repay his friends for their faith, for their efforts… it's time to break the final shell.

Then they will stand, past, present and future united… and they will destroy a god.

* * *

In the past, three hedgehogs fought to change the world. They defeated a god… and time itself was rewritten.

….

In the present, a human stands, admiring a creature in a tank. The hedgehog in the tube is sleeping… but otherwise is perfect. The man admires his creation, the compilation of all his hopes, his dreams. He has compromised everything to get here. He has allowed his creations to be used for war, he has divided his family. He was a man who has devoted his entire life to the betterment of humanity… and he has just sold his entire race away… for a single life.

"Grandfather?"

But what a life it is, Maria, his precious granddaughter. Professor Gerald knows he will regret nothing if this works. Not the Biolizard with its pitiful existence… the constant danger it presents. Not surrendering the Gizoid, for offering G.U.N a weapon that can defeat any opponent. And not for turning his miracle creature, Maria's cure into a solider for Black Doom and his race. Perhaps he will regret it later when the danger to Maria has passed… but not yet. Not when this hedgehog may not save her life.

"Are you going to wake up Shadow now?"

Shadow, the name his granddaughter had chosen for this creature. Gerald supposed it was fitting in so many ways. After all, both he and this project, they were shadows of what they used to be… their noble intentions eclipsed by the darkness that had been needed to fulfil them.

"Of course, Maria."

Though perhaps Shadow would become the creature Gerald originally envisioned. A saviour. The creature to end all wars, all disease… the Ultimate Lifeform to build the perfect world.

…

At some point in the future, a young child discovers he is fast. Faster than anything. So, when his home is invaded, his friends captured… Sonic is already in motion. He doesn't know how to fight these robots… so he uses his speed. Crashes against them… he is willing to try anything to free his friends.

Every rescue fills the young hedgehog with hope… and he decides he loves the speed, the power to make a difference… So, when he finds the man responsible, the scientist who took everyone away… Sonic feels the need to stop him. When that man gets away… Sonic knows he will cast a last longing look at his home, and the friends he has to leave behind… and sets of in pursuit. Chasing Robotnik will show him the world… and he will always be the fastest thing alive.

* * *

In the past, a hedgehog stares at the planet below. He's watching the world from a space station… and he has just helped blow up half the moon. He can imagine the fear the act has created, the way the people below are trembling. They deserve it, parts of his mind tell him… but beneath that, some nagging doubt lingers… why, why was it that they deserved it?

This world, the one he was watching, was beautiful. So beautiful… how was it right to threaten to destroy it. His mind was like a puzzle, but it felt like the pieces didn't fit together… maybe he was missing some, maybe he had the wrong ones. But for now, there was work to do… his thoughts could be organised later.

But later never came, the horror of The Professor's plan came to light. Shadow knew someone had to make the final effort, a last push to stop this disaster… to save the world.

When he fell… Shadow knew he had no regrets… He had to atone for what he had almost done… and save the world he and Maria both loved so much.

…

In the present, Sonic is racing through the streets of Apotos… or at least he would be if it wasn't during the night. His new form was heavy, bulky and slow. His strength was monstrous, terrifying. He felt out of control. Sharp teeth cut his tongue, cut his lips. These claws were too sharp, too deadly. He was something to be feared… certainly, he feared himself.

There is nothing about this form that he enjoys. The arms are useful… but their ability to stretch is unnatural. The fur feels think and heavy. To go slowly, to slug his way through battles tossing, grabbing and punching… it isn't him.

Dawn can't come soon enough. Tail's acceptance doesn't ease the pain. Sonic knows he will spend every day… fearing the moment the sun goes down.

…

In the future, a young hedgehog is battling the mechanics of a mad man.

"A card? You're insane! We're talking about the world… the world you live on!" The psychic is screaming as he hurls projectiles back at the machine.

"Hehehe, that's the point Silver, my boy! If I can't have this world, nobody can. Don't you see the beauty of my plan!" Nega is laughing, his mania shows in his wild motions… his gleaming eyes.

Gold eyes narrowed, "I won't let you do this! I'll stop you, here and now!"

"I invite you to try Silver… but I don't have any interest the here and now… Catch me if you can, my boy!"

* * *

In the past, a blue hedgehog tries to outrun the wind. Once it was easy… as easy as breathing… but now his breath comes short. His limbs ache. His once blue fur was beginning to grey… his emerald eyes were starting to dim…

And racing alongside him, keeping perfect pace was a black blur. Those quills were as dark as ever, the red still bright on each streak. There is no pain in those muscles, no battle for those lungs. That the other is going slow is a courtesy, a favour to an old friend.

At last, the blue hedgehog stops, his gaze resting on the ocean below. His dark companion stops beside him but remains silent.

"Do you think they'll remember me?" The question hangs in the empty air for a moment, "A thousand years from now, do you think they'll remember me?"

"I'm sure they will. You'll be a hero of legend, Sonic… and in those stories, you will never have grown old." The dark hedgehog smiled weakly, "And even if the world forgets… I'll remember you. Even a thousand years from now."

"As an old man who can't win a single race." The words are bitter, the smile is not.

Shadow shakes his head, "No… I don't know how it feels to grow old. You've moved beyond my reach. I can't understand what you've become… so to me, you will eternally be Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive… and I will remember racing you."

They stand in silence once more… Sonic needing the time to catch his breath. Shadow won't call him out on it. The gulf between them is too wide to bridge and growing wider every day. Shadow knows, soon, he will stand here alone.

…

A child gazes at the world with fearful eyes. Today scares him… and he is sure tomorrow will as well. Cities swarming with robots are everywhere… and these machines aren't friendly… but the boy can make them go away… at least for a little while.

The white hedgehog cuddles closer to the dark leg of his protector, burrowing his face in that red stripe. A hand reaches down to pet soft, white quills.

"Was the world always like this?" The boy asks, half-hidden behind the older male's leg.

"No… Once the world was beautiful and wonderful. A man tried to make it like this… he built a lot of robots."

"Oh…" The child's golden eyes dimmed a little, "Is that what happened?"

Red eyes shone with pride, as the adult crouched down beside the child, "No… there was a hero, Sonic. He defeated that man, time and time again… he broke all the robots and saved the animals that were trapped inside."

White quills stuck up in alarm, "There are animals in those robots?"

"There used to be… but something else powers them now."

Leaning closer, the child tugged on his guardian's ear, "Did Sonic defeat all those robots alone?"

Again, the older hedgehog pets the boy's quills, "He had friends who used to help him… but sometimes he did things alone."

"Oh… Do you think I could beat these robots, even if I am alone?" The boy's ears drooped, and his eyes rested on the floor.

Strong fingers lifted the boy's head… and Shadow smiled, "Of course you can… and you won't be alone, you'll have me."

For the first time in a long while, Silver smiled.

….

In the future, Shadow sighed. The boy was gone, somewhere Shadow knew he couldn't follow. Sonic was the hero of one age and Silver was the hero of another.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly… the present so quickly became the past, the future changed to the present with every passing second. Time flowed through the world and everything in it… everything but him. He was ageless, endless and flawless. And that might be the biggest flaw of all.

The dark hedgehog closed his eyes, losing himself in memories of the past… waiting for Silver to return from his latest adventure… and dreading that for him the future was always approaching, the present couldn't stay… and the past was filled with rows of faces he would never really see again.

* * *

At some point in time, which was now the past, a young hedgehog stepped into a present he didn't know. The world was new, the faces different. Even the one he thought would always be the same. Silver recognised that Shadow was gone, that his energy was nowhere to be seen in this world.

The time traveller sighed. He saw the trail that these heroes had walked before him, Sonic with his speed, Shadow with his limitless power… and now Silver himself had saved the world. It was a great legacy… but nothing that would help him in this strange new world.

But his past now set him as a great hero… someone with the courage to risk everything and attempt the impossible… he could face this strange new world. With a watery smile, the white hedgehog stepped into this new present, ready to face the unfamiliar future… but always willing to remember his past.

* * *

At some point in time, three hedgehogs faced off against a god. It was taking everything just to maintain this battle. They were completely different and totally alike. One had his whole life ahead of him, though the parts that had passed so far were certainly eventful. Another had grown up too fast… and to most of the company around him was actually part of a life to come. The last had lived too long, and not long enough… and stretched too far into the future.

They were the past, the present and the future. They were timeless, eternal and endless.

In this moment, they were suspended… always existing, never existing. Part of a perfect world, a broken world and no world at all. In this moment they were equals, an impossible distance removed. They were the perfect team.

And though the past moved further away, the present became yesterday, last week, last year and tomorrow became today… Somewhere in time… and yet outside it all… this battle raged.

Three hedgehogs combined their powers, their hopes, their dreams. And they exist as perfect beings, always in their prime, at the peak of their powers… and always together as they try to save the world.


End file.
